If you’re looking for a battery powered mower that’s rugged, versatile, self-propelled, and that allows for up to 0.5 acres of grass to be cut on a single battery charge, the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower is a superb option. It comes with or without a required 60V rechargeable battery and battery charger. So, if you already have other Toro 60V electric lawn tools, you can use the same battery and charger.
Yes, you still need to walk behind this push mower, but it moves forward practically on its own, so it’s much easier on your back, neck, shoulders, and legs. And the controls are intuitive to operate. As a result, this mower also allows you to cover more territory faster, with no exhaust fumes to inhale, minimal noise, and no extension cord to drag around. If you’re just going in a straight line, you can even operate the mower with one hand.
Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower without Battery and Charger
Does this sound appealing? Well, keep reading to learn more about the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower and my experience testing it. The folks at Toro sent me a review unit of its Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower (Model 21469) to review. Spoiler alert: My overall experience has been a favorable one.
Pros
- Up to 50 minutes of runtime on a single battery.
- The same 60V battery can power over 75 Toro lawn tools.
- The self-propelled feature means much less physical exertion.
- There are no exhaust fumes to inhale.
- Virtually no maintenance is required.
Cons
- This model will only cover up to 0.5 acres with a single battery charge.
- The mower with one battery and a charger is a bit pricey.
- Battery recharge time is about 215 minutes.
Specifications
- Price: $549 (without required battery and charger).
- Mower Type: Self-Propelled Walk Behind Mower.
- Battery Capacity: 8.0Ah battery runs mower up to 50 minutes.
- Bagger Capacity: 1.8 Bushels.
- Deck Size: 22 inches.
- Max. Forward Moving Speed: 4.0 mph.
- Motor Type: Three Phase Brushless DC.
- Blade Engagement: Push button start.
- Yard Size: Ideal for up to 0.5 acres.
- Height of Cut: 1.0 to 4.0 inches.
Who Should Buy the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler Lawn Mower?
Let’s be honest. Nobody enjoys mowing their lawn. And if you have an old-fashioned push mower, anytime you lug out the mower to cut the grass, you can expect to experience a full-body workout. On top of that, if it’s a gas powered mower, there are a lot of ongoing maintenance requirements and you often have to inhale unhealthy exhaust fumes.
Meanwhile, if you currently use an electric mower, you must contend with an often unwieldy 50- to 100-foot extension cord being dragged behind the mower to keep it running. And of course, when grass clippings get sucked into a bag, it then needs to be emptied. This usually requires removing the bag from the mower, lifting it up, carrying it to a bumping location, and then shaking it vigorously to empty it.
Well, there’s a faster and easier solution that almost makes mowing the lawn a pleasure. The Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower runs on a rechargeable battery pack. This means no gas, no exhaust fumes, and no extension cord is required. The personal-pace self-propel feature takes the effort out of mowing the lawn and speeds up the process. Using integrated wheel levers, you can adjust the cut height from one inch to four inches when using this rear-wheel drive mower.
After pressing the electric start button, you can control the forward movement of the mower with your fingers, so there’s very little actual pushing required (even if you’re moving over uneven terrain or up a slope). And since the mower can travel up to four miles per hour, you can cover more territory faster compared to a traditional push mower.
Another standout feature of this mower is the design of its bag, which is made from a lightweight, but sturdy material. It’s fast and simple to attach and detach it from the mower. What I like best are the bag’s carry handle and wide opening, so it takes minimal effort to carry the bag to your disposal site, and you don’t have to shake it to get it empty. Since this mower uses Toro’s Recycler Cutting System, what you wind up with are ultra-fine clippings that can also be used as mulch.
The Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower has built in mulching capabilities and comes with a bag. A side discharge accessory is available for free once you register the mower with Toro online. It also has a folding handle, so it takes up less storage space in a garage or shed.
Currently, Toro offers a small lineup of Flex-Force Power System 60V Max mowers. This model provided a 22-inch wide deck size.
Setting Up the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler Lawn Mower Is a Breeze
The Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower comes in a large box. Following the included quick start guide’s illustrated instructions, it took me about 15 minutes to set up the mower, with no tools required. Charging the battery requires plugging in the charger into an electrical outlet and then inserting the mower’s battery pack into the charger.
It takes about 3.5 hours for the battery to fully charge. Each battery lasts long enough to mow about 0.5 acres (or about 50 minutes). You can double this by purchasing a second battery (sold separately). It takes about 15 seconds to swap out a drained battery with a fully-charged one when using the mower.
After attaching the mower’s handle and bag, and inserting a fully charged battery, the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower is ready to go. Just set the desired cut height, press the electric start button, then squeeze the Drive Bar and Blade Control Bar together and gently push the handle forwards to go. The further in you push the handle, the faster the self-propelled mower will move. If you release your hand(s) from the Drive Bar and Blade Control Bar, the mower automatically and nearly instantly shuts down.
Overall, setting up and then getting the mower started was about as easy as it could get. And I’m impressed by the quality and durability of the mower, bag, and wheels.
Using the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler Lawn Mower
The Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower is the first push mower I’ve used with the self-propel feature and I absolutely love it. Even when mowing my lawn on a hot day, I barely break a sweat. When I’m done, I’m not at all tired after mowing my entire front lawn.
Working with a rechargeable battery not only eliminates the need for an extension cord, but it also allows the mower to make less noise when operating. And being able to control everything from the cut height to the forward moving speed takes a lot of the effort out of the lawn mowing process. The height of the mower’s handle is also adjustable for added comfort.
This mower is powerful: It cuts through tall grass and overgrown weeds with ease. Its wheels are also robust, so it can travel over small obstacles, like sticks, without damaging the blades. The size of the wheels also provide a smoother motion whether traveling across a flat lawn surface or along a slight slope.
The version of the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower that comes with one battery and a charger provides everything needed to mow a lawn. Again, if your lawn is over 0.5 acres, I suggest investing in a second battery (sold separately).
The good news is that the same Toro 60V battery works with over 75 different lawn tools, including Toro snow blowers, leaf blowers, trimmers/edgers, chainsaws/pole saws, and hedge trimmers, so you can swap batteries between tools as needed to complete all of your lawn work.
It’s slightly confusing that Toro offers six versions of its 60V battery and all are compatible with its lawn tools. Each has a different Ah capacity, with the 60V 10.0 Ah battery being the highest capacity option. It will keep the mower going for the longest amount of time, but sold separately, this battery will set you back an around $425. All versions of the Toro 60V battery work with the same charger, however.
Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower without Battery and Charger
Toro 60V MAX Flex-Force 5.4 Amp Lithium-Ion Battery Rapid Charger
Toro 88675 60V Battery 7.5Ah 405 Watt Hour Flex-Force Lithium-ion
My Final Thoughts: Is the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler Lawn Mower Worth It?
Prior to this mower, I used a traditional electric push mower (with a 100-foot extension cord) for more than a decade. I would wind up tired, thirsty, and sweaty each time I mowed my lawn. Last summer, I began using one of the latest battery powered robotic mowers that cost more than $2,000. It worked autonomously, but I had to monitor it constantly. It also took almost 90 minutes to mow just my front lawn.
Using the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower, I can mow my front lawn in less than 20 minutes. Out of all these options, for me, a battery powered mower with a self-propel feature is definitely the way to go and in my opinion, this Toro mower is well worth the price (although the price of the extra batteries is a bit steep).
For me, the best reason to buy the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler lawn mower is its battery power. There are no cords, no engine exhaust fumes, and practically no maintenance. Based on my testing, the mower performed extremely well and was a pleasure to use. A battery powered mower is certainly more expensive than an electric model, but the convenience of not navigating around a power cord is well worth it.
With the most basic level of care and proper storage of the battery and charger, I can easily see this mower providing many years of reliable service. If you’re using a traditional gas or electric powered push mower that does not offer a self-propel feature and you need to mow 0.5 acres or less, I think it’s time for an upgrade to the Toro Flex-Force Power System 60V Max 22” Recycler.
